A British man who attempted to smuggle an Iraqi man into the UK via the Channel Tunnel has been jailed for 15 months.
On 20 September 2015 Border Force officers at the UK inward tourist controls at the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles, France stopped a British-registered Mercedes car.
When questioned the vehicle’s driver, Ibrahim Abdullah ERKAL said he had been to Paris for two days sight seeing. Officers then searched the car and found a man concealed beneath cardboard in the boot.
Erkal was arrested and the investigation passed to Immigration Enforcement Criminal Investigation officers. Forensic evidence showed that while Erkal was abroad his phone had been in contact with a phone found in the illegal migrant’s possession.
Erkal admitted a charge of assisting unlawful entry into the UK when he appeared at Canterbury Crown Court on 17th January.
Erkal, 34, of Chatsworth Road, Swindon, Wiltshire was charged later the same day with assisting unlawful immigration into the UK (contrary to Section 25 (1) & (6) of the Immigration Act and received 15 months imprisonment.
Assistant Director David Fairclough, from the Immigration Enforcement Criminal Investigations team, said:
“This was an unsophisticated attempt to breach the UK’s immigration controls and one that, the court found, was motivated by money.
“The sentence handed out yesterday should serve as a warning to anyone tempted to get involved in the vile trade of people smuggling. We will catch you, and put you before the courts.
“We will continue to work closely with Border Force colleagues to rigorously investigate allegations of immigration related criminality.”
The Iraqi man involved was passed to the French Police Aux Frontières.
Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
